The Instigator Podcast

The Sabres recent skid has raised questions about virtually every aspect of the roster and coaching staff. We try to get to the bottom of some of those issues and determine what buttons can be pushed to address Buffalo's struggles. We discuss Don Granato and whether or not his seat is getting hot, Kevyn Adams' lack of action in the offseason (and thus far in-season) along with exploring what solutions could be available to the club.

We wrap up the show with a quick discussion over the expected increase in the salary cap for 2024-25 and other changes that have come from this week's Board of Governors meeting.

The Sabres goaltending came into focus as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has taken control of the crease in Buffalo and Devon Levi has been sent to Rochester. We talk about what it means for Levi, where he's struggled this year and how Rochester can help shape him into the goalie we saw last spring.

This week's episode also touches on the story unfolding with Corey Perry in Chicago, Pat Kane's move to Detroit and the dismissal of Dean Evanson from Minnesota.

The Sabres approach Thanksgiving very much alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race, but their inconsistency on offense threatens to derail any playoff push. We dicsuss those offensive issues while also highlighting the looming decision that is coming for Zach Benson and the Sabres. Will the team opt to burn a year of his entry level contract? Or will he be sent back to the WHL in preparation for a starring role in the World Junior Championships?

This week's episode also features a debate over the NHL's plans for a return to international play, as there are reports the league will host a scaled down international event between the USA, Canada, Sweden and Finland in 2025, with an expectation to return to a regular World Cup rotation after the 2026 Olympics. All of that, and more, on this week's episode.

The Sabres tough Saturday carried to Tuesday and it got worse with Tage Thompson's injury. We discuss how Buffalo's injury woes at forward have thinned their lines, and Thompson's injury exacerbates the problems. We talk about the holes in Buffalo's lineup and how it's past time for Jiri Kulich and other high-end prospects to get a look. We wrap up this week's episode with a brief conversation on the team's struggling power play and a few adjustments we'd make to clean it up.

The original posting of this episode used an incorrect audio file. A new version of the episode was updated at 9:00 am on November 15.

Alarm bells are going off in Edmonton and we start this week's show talking about everything that seems to be ailing the Oilers. We also tie in our Oilers discussion, and their need to stay competitive with the push the Sabres will start to feel when it comes to making a big trade of their own.

We also talk about Buffalo's young stars, namely Matthew Savoie and Jiri Kulich. Savoie has arrived after his two week conditioning assignment and will likely slot into the lineup this week. But even though Kulich has been scoring at a torrid pace, he hasn't earned a call up just yet. We talk about where in the lineup he could fit and how much longer the Sabres can realistically wait before bringing him up.

We took listener questions and ran through topics like the Shane Wright plan, expectations for Devon Levi, how Peyton Krebs and Casey Mittelstadt should be handled and line juggling as the team finds the right fit for their forwards. We open the show with a discussion on the adoption of neck guards, what might be preventing early adoption for NHL players and how a grandfathered requirement could come into play.

It's been quite the week in the NHL. Tuesday's 16-game slate was a hit, with ESPN's Frozen Frenzy the highlight of the evening. We talk about the effort to put the night together and how we look forward to the next iteration of the NHL's version of Red Zone. We also spend time talking about the league's movement to decentralize the draft. We weigh the pros and cons of pulling most, if not all, team staff from the on-site draft and the movement to a model that more closely resembles the NFL Draft. Along the way we touch on the Sabres first seven games, where they've struggled, where they're enjoying positive momentum and why we remain optimistic despite their early struggles on offense.

After offering a recap of Buffalo's first three games, we tackle a topic that's been circulating with Sabres fans for quite some time. Are the Sabres interested in Pat Kane and would he be a good fit with this roster? We dig into Kane's underlying stats, consider how he may look post-surgery and offer up some of the potential positives if he was indeed signed as a free agent in the coming weeks or months.

Let's kick off the opening week of the NHL season with a listener mailbag. On this episode we'll tackle Owen Power's contract, how the Sabres should handle Matt Savoie, what a successful start to the year looks like for Zach Benson and more.

The regular season is nearly here. With the Sabres wrapping up their preseason schedule, we try and determine what Don Granato and Kevyn Adams' final decisions will be in forming Buffalo's roster. We dicsuss the backup goaltending decision, how many defensemen the team will choose to keep and which forwards will earn the precious few spots which are available. We wrap up the show discussing where we see the Sabres finishing the season in a wide open Eastern Conference playoff picture.